[amsat-bb] Re: QSL CARD EXCHANGE

Fri Mar 28 20:29:59 PST 2008

When I began in ham radio, I was 14 years old 
with a $2/month allowance.  The fact that I even 
had a transmitter (Heath DX-35) was due to my Dad 
providing the $55 needed for the used radio (very 
unexpected since this was equal to the family 
monthly food budget back then).  I later got a 
part-time job for $10/week so I could afford to 
QSL (3-cent postage back then).  My mother made 
up 500 cards for me at the newspaper office where 
she worked (probably cost her about 5-cents a 
copy).  I think she made $0.50/hour as a 
lineotypist back then.  Those cards probably cost 
her more than a weeks salary!  I am amazed at my folks back then.

As a K8 in Michigan, I certainly was not a rare 
DX station, but I recall receiving a QSL for 
every card I sent (late 1950's).  Well, times 
have changed.  Certainly not everyone has the 
finances to do Ham radio.  As the only active ham 
in Alaska (a DXCC country) on 2m eme, I am sought 
for QSL's a lot.  Fortunately, I can afford to 
send cards and do 100% QSL of all my eme 
contacts.  I do not do 100% for satellite, but 
will reply to all who send a card.  I send 
overseas contacts my card plus self-addressed 
envelope and $2 USD for postage.  I make my own 
cards on the computer using 4x6 inch Avery 
postcard stock.  This adds up!  When I retire on 
social security I wonder how well I will be able to continue with QSLing.

Bruce brings up very good thoughts to consider 
when you QSL.  BTW I do not have 100% reply rate 
for my eme QSLs, but it is not bad.

73 Ed - KL7UW

At 08:07 AM 3/28/2008, Bruce wrote:
>Although you sometimes will not get a card back no matter what you do,
>to increase your chances here is what I have done.
>
>Send all cards with a SASE (or self addressed envelop with a green stamp
>or IRC)
>Send a pre-filled out QSL card for them to complete (with
>date/time/callsigns, etc. and a place for them to sign)
>      (this way, even if they do not have any QSL cards, they can provide
>you with one)
>
>Now the disappointing part... you have done this once, need the country
>for a new one, send a card again only this time with $5 in it, no reply.
>Next you actually happen to come across someone that is traveling to
>that county and you give him a QSL card to carry with him and a blank
>made out card. He knocks on the door of the ham in the foreign country,
>asks him if he would please fill out the QSL card for his friend in the
>states and the ham doesn't want to have anything to do with it. This
>just was not a very nice ham at all. Oh well, I am still waiting for a
>satellite QSL card from Iceland back in 1993 or 1994.
>
>Once upon a time, someone sent me a QSL card without a SASE (stateside
>ham). Having DXCC, WAS, VUCC and WAC on satellite, it was nice to
>receive a card from another state. I emailed the ham and said I would
>not send it direct without postage. He replied that this was the most
>economical way to exchange QSL cards, each side paid half the postage.
>That would be a great theory if QSL'ing were to start today and no one
>in the world had a QSL card from anyone else. What about people that are
>on fixed budgets and like to be on the air. If everyone sent them a QSL
>card, that would cost them so much they could not buy food that month.
>
>I am the QSL manager for P5/4L4FN (North Korea operation). Very, very
>rare country. We had sent him equipment to get on AO-40 a few weeks
>before it went silent (sniff sniff). Anyhow, I have processed around
>12,000 QSL cards for that operation. I still get requests. Many come
>direct without envelopes, SASE, IRC or green stamps. If I sent back even
>1,000 of them on my own funds, that would be very expensive (envelope
>and postage) and I have absolutely nothing to gain towards any award.
>Those cards go back via the buro and I have to pay the postage and buro
>fee to send them (a lot less than postage on each one).
>
>You have to remember that if you want a QSL card from someone, it is to
>further your fun in the hobby by earning some type of award, not the
>person that you are sending the card to. (If it was someplace I really
>wanted and I got their card before I sent mine, I would send them back
>their postage, IRC or green stamp as it was mutually beneficial).
>
>73...bruce
>
>Garie Halstead K8KFJ wrote:
> > Stuart Underwood<w8stu at att.net>  wrote:
> >
> >      >  I sent out seven QSL cards.  Waiting to get some back.
> >      >  I received only one.  My questions is, is there a protocol
> >      >  for sending and receiving QSL cards for satellite work?
> >
> >    If you want the cards bad enough, you 
> could always include a SASE with your 
> card.  Most of the time that will help your return rate.  Good luck.
> >
> >    73, Gary  -K8KFJ-
> >    Sat VUCC #125
> >    Greetings,
> >
> > I have a question about exchanging QSL cards. 
> When the last time the ISS xband repeater was 
> up I made seven contacts. I was very excited 
> because this was the first time I was able to 
> work satellites. Very anxious, I sent out seven 
> QSL cards. Waiting to get some back. I received 
> only one. My questions is, is there a protocol 
> for sending and receiving QSL cards for 
> satellite work? When I get better, I would like 
> to try for VUCC... Thanks in advance. 73, Stuart W8STU EN91
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>
>--
>
>Bruce Paige, KK5DO
>
>AMSAT Director Contests and Awards
>
>ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE
>
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